Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart are entering next months Chili Bowl Nationals in honor of late racer Jason Leffler. Kahne will drive a car entered in combination with Stewart, Lefflers girlfriend, Julianna Patterson, and former father-in-law, Bob East., in the Jan. 14-18 race at the Tulsa Expo Center in Oklahoma. Plans had been for Leffler and Patterson to co-own the car, and Leffler and East to build it together before Lefflers death in a June sprint car crash. East continued the project following the accident, and Patterson turned to Stewart for help after the three-time NASCAR champion broke his leg in his own sprint car accident last season. ‘She told me, ‘Im going to be a car owner at the Chili Bowl and I said, ‘OK? kind of quizzically, and its just gone on from there’ Stewart told The Associated Press. ‘Bob is building the car. The owner was going to be Jason and Julianna, and I really wanted to be involved.” So did Kahne, who was close friends with the 37-year-old Leffler, a journeyman NASCAR driver who loved racing so much he entered everything he could. The night he was killed in a sprint car race in New Jersey, the winner was guaranteed just $7,000. Kahne had to first convince his NASCAR team owner, Rick Hendrick, to sign off on his participation in the Chili Bowl. Hendrick hasnt forbidden Kahne from any extracurricular racing, but hasnt exactly rubber-stamped Kahnes opportunities, either. Kahne felt racing in honor of Leffler at the Chili Bowl, with the promise of raffling off the car after for the Charlie Dean Leffler Discretionary Trust to benefit Lefflers son, would get him the permission from Hendrick. The Chili Bowl is one of the most prestigious midget events of the year and has a star-studded lineup. The entry list is nearing 250 already and includes Sammy and Kevin Swindell, Joey Saldana, Bryan Clauson, and NASCAR drivers Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Larson.(full story at the Associated Press )
